Match-safe.



PATBNTED OCT. 9, 1906.

A. A. C. SPIBSKE.

lMATCH SAFE.

APPLICATION FILED Nov.1s,19o5.

UNITED STATES.

PATENT OFFICE.

MATCH-SAFE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented oct. 9, rece.'

Application filed November 13, 1905. Serial No. 286,988.

To all whom, t may concern:

Be it known that I, AUGUST A. C. SPIEsKE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Detroit, county of Wayne, State of Michigan, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Match-Safes, of which the folowing is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this speciiication.

My invention has for its object to provide a novel match-safe of `superior construction and utility; and it consists of the construction, combination, and arrangement of devices hereinafter described and claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which* Figure 1 is a view in vertical section, showing parts in elevation, illustrating myinvention; and Fig. 2 is a detail View illustrating a modification in the construction of the lever mechanism. i

More particularly my invention is designed to provide a match-safe arranged to contain a quantity of matches and whereby the match will be ignited as it is completely withdrawn.

It is well understood that in cigar-storesfor example, where the matches are exposed for the use of the purchasers of cigars-the purchaser is liableto take a quantity of the matches when`a single match is all that is needed for the immediate purpose.

The aim of my invention is to provide a match-safe wherein the matches are inclosed and whereby they can only be delivered one by one and when delivered each match is ignited, so that there is no object in securing more than a single match at a time, thereby securing a great saving in the cost of matches.

To this end my invention embodies a simple and economical construction which will quickly pay for itself in the saving of matches under certain circumstances and which will at the same time be convenient, insomuch as the matches are readily delivered from the safe and ignited as they are withdrawn.

I carry out my invention as follows:

In the drawings, a denotes a suitable inclosing case. The main body of the case I refer to construct in the shape of a lightiiouse, a laterally-projecting portion of the case housmg certain portions of the lever mechanism for operating the device. Within the main body of the case is located a receptacle b to contain a quantity of matches, the matches being placed in the receptacle with the ignition ends downward. A lunger cis movable at its upper end throug the receptacle b, the lunger working, preferably, in a sleeve or, tuhular portion d beneath the receptacle b. With the lower end of the plunger is engaged a lever, whereby the plunger may be elevated. The walls of the receptacle b are preferably made conical at the upper and lower ends of the rece tacle, so that the heads of the matches will one by one readily work down upon the upper end of the plunger when the plunger is in normal position, the upper end of the p lunger in normal position being located at tiie apex of the inverted conical end at the lower end of the receptacle. By making the upper end of the receptacle also of conical form it is readily observable that the matches will one by one be forced, upon the elevation of the plunger,

to the pointof the cone into a position to be y discharged therefrom, the point of the upper cone of the receptacle being formed with an opening (indicated at p) normally closed by a spring-actuated cover (indicated at f) secured at one side to the top of the receptacle, as indicated at g. The case a is provided with a cover 7L. Upon springs ZC k, fastened to the inner surface of the cover, are secured igniting devices of any suitable construction, (indicated at Z l.) The igniting devices are spaced suitably apart and preferably made flaring at their lower ends, so that a match forced upward will also be forced upward between the igniting devices, the butt-end of the match being forced through the opening y' of the cover. The as to force the butt-end of the match through the openingy' when the user seizes the match and withdraws it, thereby igniting the match.

As shown in Fig. l, the mechanism for elevating the plunger c consists `of a lever m,

,fulcrumed, as at n, and toothed at its outer end, as indicated, to mesh with the pinion g, actuated by a lever r, toothed at its inner end, as indicated, to mesh with said pinion, the lever r being fulcrumed, as indicated at s, and projecting through the case a, the said case being constructed with an elongated slot u t'o permit the operation of the lever r. The plunger c may be engaged at its lower end in a block o, the lever m being engaged with said block, as shown. A spring w restores the lever m and the plunger c, with other parts, to normal position. The operatplunger c is so arranged- IIO o provided with an opening at the top thereof r inalinement with the opening of the case a spark entering the receptacle.

lable fastening means (indicated at z) may be f limit myself to any particular mechanism or the igniting devices. I

vbe dispensed with. The sleeve d is constructed with case provided with an opening at the top tacle b may be swung off from the body of the receptacle whenever the cover h is opened. This enables the receptacle l) to be readily filled with matches. .The cover f, it will be understood, is restored to closed position' immediately upon the descent of the plunger c, thereby preventing any liability of Any suitemployed to hold the cover h in closed position. I prefer to provide the case a with a cushion (indicated by the numeral 3) for the lever m, the case being also provided with a cushion 4; for the lever 1^.

In Fig. 2 instead of the levers m 1 and intervening pinion g to elevate the plunger my invention contemplates the use of two levers 5 and 6, similar to levers m and 1", except that they are not toothed at their inner ends, a lever 7 being employed fulcrumed, as

at 8, one end of the lever 7 bein the .lever 6 and the opposite end 7 being engaged by the lever 5.

I would have it understood that I do not 0" engaged by of the lever arrangement of levers for elevating the plunger, nor to anyspeciiic construction of Either end of the match may be delivered foremost from the safe within the scope of my invention. If desired, also, the igniting mechanism might elongated slots e e for the lever m to work in.

What I claim as my invention isl. A match-safe comprising an exterior thereof, an inner stationary receptacle for the matches located within the exterior case and with an opening in the bottom thereof, mechanism to ignite the matches located be- 1 tween the upper end of the inner receptacle and the top of the exterior case, and a vertically-movable plunger having its upper end normally'located below the inner surface at the bottom of the receptacle to force theA matches one by one out of thev opening in the upper end of the inner receptacle in an upright position into contact with the igniting mechanism and to project one endof the matches through the opening in the upper end of the exterior case, substantially as described.

2. A match-safe comprising an exterior` case provided with an opening at the top thereof, an inner match-receptacle within the case constructed with conical-shaped ends at the top and at the bottom of the receptacle, igniting mechanism located within the exterior case above the upper end of the inner receptacle, a vertically-reciprocatory plunger working through the conical-shaped ends of the receptacle, to discharge the matches one by one therefrom and to project one end of the matches, individually, from the case and to bring the heads of the projecting matches into proximity to the igniting mechanism, the upper end of the plunger normally located below the inner surface at the bottom of the receptacle, substantially as described.

3. A match-safe comprising an exterior case provided with a hinged cover having an opening at the top thereof, an inner matchreceptacle within the case provided with a removable cover having an opening at the top thereof, means to force the matches from the receptacle one by one in an upright position and to project one end of the matches individually-from the opening in the case,

the cover of the inner receptacle being secured to the cover of the exterior case, whereby the covers may be simultaneously removed, the upper end -of the plunger normally located below the inner surface at the bottom of the receptacle, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

AUGUST A. C. SPIESKE.

Witnesses:

N. S. WRIGHT, ANNA M. MURPHY.

IOC 

